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Zenith
Sometimes called the Violet Peaks, Zenith is an ocean of snow, broken only by cloud-encircled peaks, which seem to dominate the shard’s entire surface. Though many who live here seek balance, the snow-heaped mountains and hidden verdant valleys of Zenith are places of dangerous extreme. From the mind-shattering ordeals of the monastics in their citadels, to the rigorous conditions of the extreme landscape, to the poisonous halls hidden between lies and stone, Zenith promises only clarity and realization. Form preconceptions at your own peril. Compared to many of the other shards, Zenith is more or less intact, not much shaped by the footprints of those who walk upon it. The Monks who live there say it is because the shard’s occupants accept it as it is. They seek to adapt to the shard’s perilous climate and shape, rather than break them to accommodate the self- deceiver. Whether this is true or not, it seems that Zenith’s physical foundation, that of a single unbroken stone buttressed by a vastness of iron-veined mountains, has as much to do with the shard’s unchanging nature as anything else. CLIMATE The weather and terrain of Zenith are some of the most unforgiving in the world. This cold place lingers in the shadow of light- bleached Nova more often than not. While it does, the entire place is awash in torrential snow and pounding hail and sleet. Travel upon Zenith’s surface becomes impossible by conventional means, so the Folk who call it home have adapted in one way or another to the conditions created by the unforgiving storm. During these times, the wise stay within the monastery walls, but sometimes travel is required. Whether pulled forth by mission or vision, one must brave the tunnels beneath the ice. When the surface of the shard is navigable, Zenith possesses a majestic beauty that has special appeal to mystics and others may who have their own reasons to seek communion with the light. Haarkeen pilgrims and aspirants still seek peace in isolation there. HISTORY To understand the true story of Zenith, one must first understand the story of the three peoples who call this shard home. It is said by some upon Zenith that, before the breaking of the ancient world, a vanished people, spirit-beings of alien wisdom, hid a vast number of profound spiritual teachings within the landscape that would one day become Zenith. There are even a few religious extremists who believe these delinquent gods to be the first of Zenith’s Folk. Yet, according to the Tablets of Charuk the Undivided, the first two recorded intelligent peoples on Zenith were the Hamanu and the demonic Yamari. For a thousand cycles before the monastic migrations, these two species fought viciously, and the Hamanu did not fare well in that torturous and sustained campaign. The Yamari were simply too many, and their ceaselessly predatory and cruel method in all things diminished the Hamanu numbers almost beyond recovery. This time of destruction spanned two ages and, if not for the arrival of the Diamond Queen and her army of disciples, it is possible that the Hamanu would be no more. Stories of the adventures and realizations of the Diamond Queen and Boundless Mirror are as limitless as the imagination. Their battles with the spirit-eating Yamari are well chronicled in teaching texts and holy biographies. What is important to understand is that it was the realizations of the Diamond Queen that formed the base upon which the Zenith Orders are constructed. Her original pilgrimage inspired the pilgrimage of thousands of Haarkeen from their home shard to seek a both meaningful and peaceful life on Zenith. The number of pilgrims has decreased over the last few generations, but they still continue today. LOCATIONS The mountainous shard of Zenith is a place of hidden mysteries and forbidden secrets. Many of these locations exist in legend, but details on them are rare, and ultimately unknown, especially to Folk who are not native to Zenith. They include the Undermines of the Thousand Iron Teeth, edge-hung merchant haven of Konchog City, the Pagoda of Rubies, the Lost Golden City of the First Hamanu Kings, and the hell realm known as the Scarlet Labyrinth.